Venezuela quake death toll tops 1,400 as rescue efforts continue

Venezuela’s twin earthquakes left at least 1,430 people dead and 3,238 injured as crews from 27 countries kept searching collapsed buildings and damaged neighborhoods. The June 24 quakes, measured at 7.2 and 7.5, were felt in Caracas and across Carabobo, La Guaira, Miranda, Yaracuy and Aragua, and the United Nations said 8.6 million people were exposed to moderate to severe shaking.

More than 2,000 rescue workers were deployed, including 44 international urban search and rescue teams with 2,245 specialists and 140 search dogs. Teams from the United States are among those on the ground. The UN estimated preliminary direct physical damage at $6.7 billion, or about 6% of Venezuela’s gross domestic product, and satellite data showed power outages in parts of Carabobo, La Guaira, Caracas and Aragua.

The Cottonwood Fire in southwest Utah grew to more than 144 square miles by June 27. The blaze destroyed part of a ski resort and summer cabins, and Gov. Spencer Cox declared an emergency that cleared the way for a fireworks ban ahead of July Fourth. Record-low snowpack, a warmest-winter-on-record pattern and historic drought conditions have worsened the season.

Nationwide, the National Interagency Fire Center said nearly 3 million acres had burned since the start of 2026, with 70 major wildfires burning as of June 22 and 34,038 fires reported since Jan. 1. On June 26, the agency logged 104 new fires, including six new large fires. Utah had recorded 335 fires this year by Monday morning, burning 44,856 acres, with 255 caused by people.